On breaking hands and pumping fists

A look at the week's best quotes

Here are some of the notable quotes from around Major League Baseball this week:

"This kid, he can do everything. He can run, he can throw, hit with power. If you shake his hand, he'll break your hand."

--Toronto manager Cito Gaston on outfielder Alex Rios, who is hitting close to .400 in his last 10 games.
(Toronto Globe and Mail)

"It was like every time I came up, I had a lot of guys on base. I got good pitches to hit and I was able to drive them. It's nice to go out and get a good game."

--Carlos Delgado after last Friday's game against the Yankees in which he hit two home runs and drove in a franchise-record nine runs in the first game of the day-night doubleheader.
(New York Daily News)

"I want to set the tone with my first at-bat. Even if I get out, if I hit the ball hard on the first pitch, that means we're going to be aggressive and come after the pitcher. If I walk on a 3-2 pitch, we're going to fight all night. That's what I try to do."

--Ian Kinsler describing how he approaches each at-bat as the team's leadoff hitter. Kinsler had three straight three-hit games in a weekend series against Philadelphia.
(Dallas Morning News)

"He's unbelievable. Look at his career -- a good veteran hitter that sprays the ball all over the field. When we were in Spring Training, [the pitchers] were like, 'Good thing he's on our team. You hate facing Loretta.'"

--Doug Brocail on teammate Mark Loretta, whose pinch-hit single drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning, leading the Astros to a 3-2 win over the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.
(Astros.com)

"That's what makes it so special -- the tremendous talent group you have at first base in the National League. You've even got guys that don't get any mention, like Adrian Gonzalez, who is one of the best hitters in the game. To be elected, if that indeed becomes the case, would be a very high honor."

-- Lance Berkman commenting on being the top vote-getter among first baseman for the NL starting nod in the All-Star Game after the latest numbers were released on Monday.
(Houston Chronicle)

"I'm going to go to the All-Star Game. Show respect for the fans. I'm not going to be able to play."

--David Ortiz saying that he plans to go to New York and attend the All-Star Game despite the fact he won't be able to play due to a wrist injury that currently has him on the disabled list.
(Boston Globe)

"I don't need breaks. I'm the one that's been going to (manager) Lou (Piniella) and telling him I'm OK to play. Hopefully, I can get out there and play against the lefties and show that I can still play."

-- Jim Edmonds, who through Tuesday night had started 10 straight games despite having been signed, in theory, as a platoon player.
(Chicago Sun-Times)

"After I got through the first inning, I just felt all the anxiety kind of melt away. I could relax, and it felt great to come back. To contribute to a win is even better."

-- Adam Loewen, after tossing two scoreless innings on Tuesday night in the Orioles' 7-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. It was his first outing since April 24, when he was shelved due to lingering elbow pain, a result from surgery last year.
(Baltimore Sun)

"You know me. I love those fist pumps."

-- Mike Redmond, after pumping his fist as he scored from third on a clutch (and eventual game-winning) home run by Craig Monroe in the Twins' 6-4 win over the Tigers on Tuesday night.
(Minneapolis Star Tribune)

"I'm finally enjoying the ride. There were a lot of things that happened to me early in the season. It never happened before. Through all those trials, it made me a better player and a stronger person."

-- Nick Swisher, who has been swinging a hot bat of late, discussing the changes he's gone through as the season has progressed.
(Chicago Tribune)

"It was awesome. I was here cheering him on and he looked good, real good."

-- Kyle Lohse, on Cardinals teammate Mark Mulder, who pitched an inning of scoreless relief on Monday night. Mulder has missed the better part of the last two seasons with arm trouble.
(MLB.com)

"Maple is good, but whenever you have a hairline [break] and can't even see it and hit the ball good, and you know you hit it good, your bat explodes. And it's a soft liner to second base and the pitcher is ducking. ... I don't want one of my bats sticking somebody in the head."

"To be in Detroit and be a Tiger for a long time, the respect for my ex-teammates is always there, but the desire to go at it and do something against them is way up. It burns inside to get the opportunity to do something special against that team."

-- Former Tiger and current Minnesota Twin Craig Monroe, who hit a clutch three-run home run in the Twins' 6-4 win over Detroit on Tuesday, on facing his old team.
(St. Paul Pioneer Press)

"He's making a name for himself. If he keeps it up he's going to be huge for this team."

"Everybody's different, but Collin, like Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge and John Lannan, are young guys that we think will do better developing here at this level. You don't face Hanley Ramirez in Class AAA."

--Nationals general managerJim Bowden on the philosophy of having youngster Collin Balester pitch in the Majors.
(Washington Post)

"There'll be times Manny gets starts (against right-handers). We'll see how Omar is doing. Manny got a couple of at-bats from the left side and got a couple of hits. But we still have a great shortstop out there in Omar. He's out here hitting early and working on it. We're confident he's going to be fine."

-- Giants manager Bruce Bochy on finding playing time for both veteran Omar Vizquel and youngster Emmanuel Burriss at shortstop.
(San Francisco Chronicle)

"This is where I want to end my career but that situation will be resolved in time. Right now, I just want to start hitting, and not for my contract, but for me."

--Garrett Anderson discussing the club's option on his contract following this season.
(Los Angeles Times)

"I felt great for him because he's been swinging the bat well the past three weeks. More home runs are going to come after this."

--Adrian Beltre on the home run by Richie Sexson that broke a one-month homerless streak for the Mariners' first baseman.
(Seattle Times)